4.  The applicant was born in 1949 and lives in Hontianske Nemce.
5.  On 4 October 1996 the applicant was charged with fraud by the Zvolen District Investigation Police Office (Okresný úrad vyšetrovania policajného zboru SR Zvolen), now the Office of the Justice and Criminal Police of the Zvolen District Police Directorate (Úrad justičnej a kriminálnej polície Okresného riaditeľstva Policajného zboru Zvolen). The Zvolen District Prosecutor dismissed a complaint lodged by the applicant against the charge. Following an application by the applicant, the Regional Prosecutor in Banská Bystrica decided not to exclude the district prosecutors from dealing with the case.
6.  On 17 March 1997 the criminal proceedings were stayed as the absence of the injured party’s representative (resident in the USA) prevented the relevant authority from clarifying the case. The proceedings were resumed on 19 January 1998. They were also stayed between 19 March 1998 and 3 April 2000 and between 25 September 2000 and 2 April 2001.
7.  On 15 January 2002 the District Prosecution Service appointed a guardian for the injured party. The appointment was confirmed by the Regional Prosecution Service.
8.  In the course of the pre-trial proceedings the Hungarian authorities were twice requested for legal assistance in order to obtain further evidence from witnesses in Hungary.
9.  The applicant asked the Prosecutor General three times to review the course of the proceedings before the Zvolen District Prosecutor and the Office of the Justice and Criminal Police of the Zvolen District Police Directorate.
10.  On 1 June 2007 the proceedings were stayed as the absence of one witness prevented the authority from proceeding with the case. The investigator took several steps with a view to establishing the place of residence of the witness concerned.
11.  On 14 March 2008 the proceedings were resumed again and the witness was heard. The investigator collected further information.
12.  On 19 June 2008 the investigator recommended the Zvolen District Prosecutor’s Office to discontinue the criminal proceedings. On 6 November 2008 the Zvolen District Prosecutor’s Office discontinued the proceedings on the ground that no offence had been committed.
13.  On 29 September 2005 the Constitutional Court found that the Office of the Justice and Criminal Police of the Zvolen District Police Directorate had violated the applicant’s right under Article 48 § 2 of the Constitution to a hearing without unjustified delay.
14.  The Constitutional Court held that the case was complex from the factual point of view (international element). It stated that as the personal rights and freedoms of the accused person were affected in the course of the criminal proceedings the “reasonable time” criterion should be interpreted strictly. The applicant’s conduct had not contributed to the length of the proceedings. Owing to the relevant authority’s ineffective performance (the proceedings were stayed for 41 months) and inactivity (28 months in total), avoidable delays had occurred.
15.  The Constitutional Court awarded the applicant SKK 60,000 (the equivalent of 1,553 euros at that time) as just satisfaction in respect of non-pecuniary damage. It ordered the Office of the Justice and Criminal Police of the Zvolen District Police Directorate to reimburse the applicant’s legal costs.
16.  On 4 September 2007 the Constitutional Court found that during the period after its first finding of 29 September 2005 the Office of the Justice and Criminal Police of the Zvolen District Police Directorate had violated the applicant’s right under Article 48 § 2 of the Constitution to a hearing without unjustified delay.
17.  The Constitutional Court held that the case was complex from the factual point of view (international element). However, the factual complexity of the case could not justify the length of the relevant period. It had regard to the fact that eleven years had passed since the applicant had been charged and that it had already found a violation of the applicant’s right. The applicant’s conduct had not contributed to the length of the proceedings. The relevant authority again remained inactive and ineffective.
18.  The Constitutional Court awarded the applicant SKK 20,000 (the equivalent of 593 euros at that time) as just satisfaction in respect of non-pecuniary damage. It ordered the Office of the Justice and Criminal Police of the Zvolen District Police Directorate to avoid any further delay in the proceedings and to reimburse the applicant’s legal costs.